x
“You do,” I assured him quite calmly. “That is why I am here.”424Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjSP5Bz2UMz
“How are you acquainted with any of them?” He asked quite seriously, and only424Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡy1Z64aIQ5H
then did his eyes seem to notice my hair, which was blue all over except for its still424Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGREM9ZFrBd
black tips. “You’re quite the odd one.” He admitted, while he was far from what anyone424Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwsyrMwdr6u
would deem as ´normal´. “And I do not need my bigger glasses to see that.”424Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrckk0k0QWm
“Here. This is for you,” I tried to hand him my big notebook, the one that had been424Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzcQr4qLVrk
resting safely beside me. Almost falling out of it was a whole compendium of drawings424Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsoo0rYMTVI
and other poorly attached notes. “Father wanted you to have it.” I nudged it towards424Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡY0IdTR7J4z
him. “He also wanted me to go with you.”424Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbRHtDi87KG
“Father, you say?” He cautiously asked as he refused the offer, “I am afraid I will have424Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeApWGD9HcM
to doubt that. You see little one, I am not one with many friends, let alone associates.”424Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQWGJLwyl3q
He then took a few steps back “No, you must be mistaken. But fret not, you may424Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3GpQ7ExGeP
accompany me back to my place, if you so wish of course. After all, it is not proper to424Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyANWkZrkBf
leave one so small and meek behind, especially in a place like this. Old Gorliochi over424Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVB6AMd79LZ
there,” His eyes went straight towards that beast; this one was completely relaxed even424Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKYurM9yxFU
if its jaws kept finding one thing or another to chew on, “he can easily carry the both424Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEuCPhEpK77
of us for as long as necessary. He has been with me for many seasons now, lending a424Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡt1bIzi2jdw
hand in the carrying of all sorts of things.”424Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWatyBsF9VS
He smiled, but it was a ruse that could not hope to work on the likes of one such as424Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsGjJW9rqVJ
me. “Like all sorts of flowers and fungi that I so often like to come and find in these424Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpshUERXHDt
parts... Or even -”424Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAg7ZSfKeB4
“You are no mere flower picker or mushroom gatherer.” I said as I kept forcing that424Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡv4i9gnXjY0
notebook onto him. “Go on, take it. You are the Thinker-Tinker, and you are meant424Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMsGNSwTeBQ
to read it.”424Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqqFUHdc5Y9
A short silence stood between the two of us ...424Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpc3Y5vRSI5
“Your father, who is he then?” He eventually asked, even if his interests appeared424Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrXGbU5hSP4
to be dwindling the more he was going through those notes and drawings, “I know424Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡS52pZisiPB
many of the names inscribed here.” He kept confessing, as he tipped his glasses just424Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡU0K9YSURPS
in time to prevent them from falling off his curved nose; and then he looked at me424Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXLGtVm1a5k
with refulgent eyes: “Some of these people, they are in these drawings of yours as well!424Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCyyxufxcwu
And this man here; a Kharn. He is my friend. A dear one.”424Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ11I4ilzwnQ
“That is Father,” I said to his amazement ...424Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWSGgplEfSr
A long pause took over his person.424Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuBz6TXFns9
Many of his past fears but also promises came to haunt him, and without a424Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4PECJ0ec12
moment’s notice, his head became occupied with all sorts of questions and possibilities.424Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeZ1vx16tGe
There were so many ´If ’s´ and ´Buts´ and ´What’s´ swirling in his mind - and in424Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡC0N6lztjO7
the end all I heard him think to himself was: “This is likely to bring me quite the424Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGmTLXq7Gz8
unwanted trouble, but if there is any chance of truth to it, at all; of a real connection424Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2uzL8AsT4j
between this little one and that ol’ fool... What choice do I have?”424Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBbbK81BDfD
“Who are you girl?” his eyes swelled up as he confronted me again, “and how did424Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnexvLBvTCo
you get your hands on all this?”424Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡy5dJ3Fvrht
“As I said, all of it was wrought by my hand.”424Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡher9KU6x8S
“You wrote...” His eyes travelled between note and drawing alike “all this?424Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzFZOms6HML
What made you do such a thing?” He asked with his eyes now trembling with424Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0hsK8K27lu
restlessness.424Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡf9EWRPMrCC
“And then you will read it?”424Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSrCXnuqmnm
“Oh, I most definitely will. The spark of curiosity has already been lit inside me.”424Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡErpxFpC1iD
He then reassured me further, “My interest has already peaked way past the point of424Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzgwbk8yBVe
arousal, don’t you worry.” And after he weighed all of it with both hands; “But I will424Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNStAJo3HGL
have to do so back at my place. You understand that this is quite a lot to go through?”424Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyNQJ4xqQWF
“Quite,” I replied after I added a few extra notes I had on my person.424Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTH7MVQyOKC
“Besides, I don’t have my reading glasses on me.” He added somewhat flippantly424Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeEgH4XDo50
“I mean why would I bring them; you know? It’s not like I get to meet little girls424Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUdzdRaTAmp
carrying tomes for me regularly.”424Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmGYjFgZpVK
I nodded in concordance, and then he suggested we should make haste. Insisting, as424Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmDCx1cpqTu
we made our way to that beast, that I should tell him, or rather prepare him, for what424Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXTK2Dlzhyr
could be in store inside that notebook.424Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsB0qD1DFNM
